Conveying structure



T. S. WATSON.

CONVEYING ST RUCIURE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.2Z 1920.

1,427,989. Patented p 5, 1922.

4 SHEETS-HEET 2.

FIG.

gov/M W T. :8. WATSON.

CONVEYING STRUCTURE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.27. 1920.

PatentedSept. 5, 1922.

4 SHEET$SHEET 4.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES.

Patented Sept. 5, 19220 THOMAS S. WATSON; O1? MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CONVEYING STRUCTURE.

Application filed September 27, 1929. Serial No. 413,017.

To all 1071 0127, it maywncern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. VVATSQN, a. citizen. oi the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Conveying Structures, of which the following .is, a description, reference being. hadto. the accompanying drawingswhich. are a part of this specification. v I

The invention relates to conveying structures. j f

. Conveying structures of the travelling bridge type as usually built depend for traction upon the frictionalengagement between the wheels on the: trucks of the structure and the rails upon which these wheels travel. This sometimesfresults in one leg of the structure running ahead of the other so that the structure is thrown out of alinement and-is liable to collapse OrfaIl over. Furthermore, with the frictional drive there is nousaie and positive method. for retarding and stopping thetravel' of the struc true, as the rail clamps usually employed also depend upon a frictional engagement which is insuiii'cient to overcome the momentum oi the structure and. particularly when the structure is subjectedto the high wind pressures frequently encountered. These disadvantages, have beenovercome by a positive drive for the trucks sothat bothtrucks travel uniformly and can thereforebe easily maintained in alinem'ent and so that the stopping of the positive driving means willstop the structure since such driving'means acts as a positive stop for the structure! .7 I

Another object of theinvention isto pro,-

vide positive drive for the trucksfof the structure driven. from a commonsource of power. l I f Another object of theinvention'is to provide a simple and efficient form of driving track for the positive drive mechanism. f

A further object is to, provide suitable track anchoring means.

The invention further consists in the sevparticularly defined by claims at the con- 1 construction dirt and dust is excluded. froin' the space 53 between the rail 45 and the plate propelling mechanism embodying the inven- L tion; 21s an end elevationof thestrue ture shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailside viewof one ofthe propel-ling trucks, parts being broken away and parts being shown insection; Fig.4: is a. section taken on the p p Fig. 5 isa view of a driving track; Fig. ,6 is av detail View ofa track support; Fig. 7 is a detail view of a track-plate; Fig. 8 .is'a sectional view similar to Fig. 4: showing a modified arrangement .of the propelling. mechanism; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig, 3showing another form or propelling mechanism; Fig. 10 is a section'talren on the line .lO. l-O of'Fig 9.

Referring to the. drawings the illustrated conveying structure comprises a conveying bTlClgG 9, the trucks 10 of which are mounted on wheels running on hereinafter described. A motor 13 ismounted on the bridge and one or more rails, as

through gearing l idrives a line shaft 15 which carries bevel gears l6 meshing with similar gears 17 on transmission shafts 18 carrying gears, 19. .A brake 15 ,either of fth-e me'chanicalor dynamic type, is used for stopping the'rotation of the shaft 15.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 1 of the drawings, illustrating the preferred form of the invention the gear 19ineshes with a gear 40 on a drive shaft ell carried in thelowei' portion of one of the truckslo which in eludes truck frame members 1-2. Supporting and guiding wheels 13 are mounted on axles 41:45 journalled in the truck and run on rails 4&5, one rail being usedfor each leg of the bridge. A propell'ing wheel 46 is fixed to the shaft 41 as by a keyed connection.

In this instance the driving track is iforined of plates 4-7 and 18 carrying trans-' verse pins 49 spaced at regular intervals along the plates forming the track. The

wheel 401m teeth the advancingsides of which areadaptedjto engage the pinsas.

.Isaid Wheel is driven to thereby positively Q drive each leg ofthe bridge. The'plates 47 p are disposed in upright position between the ,head. and .base of the rail 45 and secured ftheretohy clamps 51 which alsoengage the eral features hereinaifterset forth and more base'of therail and' have a top. surface 52 .upon which the plates 18 rest. With this 47 and the plate 4.8 is elevated above the road-bed so. that the pins 4c9fmayfbe easily The pins 49 may be of one piece or they may have a roller portion engaged by the wheel 46.

The driving track shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive include side frame plates or members 29 supported by angle iron brackets 30, one side of each bracket forming a base and the other side having spaced notches 31 formed therein near the top and upon which the plates are seated. Transversely disposed driving pins 32 are secured to the plates 29 in spaced relation and hold the plates together. These rails are made up in sections. At the central portion of each section a pair of brackets 30 are used and longitudinal movement is prevented by plates 33 riveted to the plates 29 and provided with notches 34 fitting over the upright sides of said brackets. At the ends single brackets 30 are used and permit the expansion and contractionv of the rail, the rail sections being joined together by plates29. This driving track is shown in Fig. 8 and also a rail 35 for the supporting and guiding wheels 36 for the trucks on the legs of the bridge. The transmission shaft 18 has its gear 19 meshing with a gear 37 on a driven axle 38 upon which the wheel 36 at one end of the truck is looselymounted and the propelling wheel 39, similar to the wheel d6, is keyed to this axle and engages the pins 32 to .move

the bridge in the same way as the previously described construction. The wheel 36 at the other end of the truck is not shown but is mounted on its own axle similar to the wheel 43 shown in Fig. 3.

- Referring to Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings, the transmission shaft 18 carries a gear 19 meshing with a gear 20 on a driven axle 21 carried in the lower portion of one of the frames 10 which includes the frame members 22. Supporting and guiding wheels 23 are loosely mounted on the axle while a propelling wheel 2% is fixed thereto as by a keyed connection.

The driving track is formed of two channel beams 25 mounted above the roadbed upon ties 26 and carrying transverse pins 27 spaced at regular intervals along the beams forming the track. The wheel 24: has teeth 28 the advancing'sides of which are adapted to engage the pins as said wheel rotates to thereby propel the bridge structure along the track. The beams are elevated above the road-bed so that the pins may be easily kept clean and clear of any foreign matter. The beams not only form a part of the track but also form the supports for the wheels 23. As shown, the tops of the beams form a rail head for the wheels 23 but it will be understood that separate rail sections for said wheels may be carried on top of the beams, if desired.

' To prevent any liability of tipping or derailment of the structure, stabilizing hooks 1 eneas) 4-0 are shown in Figs. 8 and 10 connected to the truck and have their ends disposed beneath the rail head with which they may engage if for any reason the structure should start to tip to one side or the other.

In the constructions above described it will be noted that the driving pins are secured in elevated position between the side frame members of the track, thus affording unobstructed passage around the pins so that the track may be kept clean and is selfcleaning, as any material passes down onto the road-bed, and that said pins with their supports form a pin rack engaged by the propelling wheel.

The positive drive for each of the spaced trucks of the conveying structure permits of the ready alinement of the trucks, and where the drive is from a common source of power the trucks will be maintained in alinement. Furthermore, by the use of a positive drive the movement of the conveying structure may be retarded and positively stopped since the application of the brake, or brakes where separate drive for each truck is pro vided, stops the rotation ofthe propelling wheels and the pins then engaging said wheels act as positive stops to arrest the movement of the structure.

The weight of the structure is carried on the rails so that the driving pins are relieved of any strain occasioned by this weight.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not tobe limited to any specific form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1; The combination, with a conveying structure having a bridge mounted on spaced trucl s, of a motor mounted on the bridge, a line shaft driven by the motor, a transmission shaft on each truck drivingly connected with said line shaft, a propelling wheel carried by each of the trucks and drivingly connected with the transmission shaft on that truck, a pin rack adjacent each truck and engaged by the propelling wheel for that truck, a rail mounted adjacent each truck, and guide and supporting wheels mounted on each truck to run on the rail for that truck.

2. The combination, with a conveying structure having a bridge mounted on spaced trucks, of a motor mounted on the bridge, a line shaft driven by the motor, a

transmission shaft on each truck drivingly connected with said line shaft a propelling wheel carried by each of the trucks and drivingly connected with the transmission v shaft on that truck, a pin rack adjacent each truck and engaged by the propelling'wheel for that truck, a rail mounted adjacent each truck, guide and supporting wheels mounted on each truck to run on the rail for that truck, and means for stopping the rotation of said line shaft. e

3. The combination, with a conveying structure having a bridge mounted on spaced trucks, of driving means mounted on" the bridge, transmission shafts on each truck operatively connected with and driven by said driving means, a propelling wheel 1.0 carried by each of the trucks and drivingly connected with the transmission shaft on that truck, a pin rack adjacent each truck and engaged by the propelling wheel for that truck, a rail mounted adjacent each truck, and guide and supporting wheels 15 mounted on each truck to run on the rail for that truck. t In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

THOMAS s. WATSON. v 

